You hate to say that any fighter is unbeatable but in the case of Artur Beterbiev, that’s what he seems to be.
The Russian monster perpetually moves forward at all times, refusing to take a back step. Once he’s in range, that’s when things get spooky for the opposition.
This past weekend, Callum Smith stepped up to the plate. Having been a champion in the super middleweight division, he knew he had what it took to climb back up that championship mountain. Beterbiev though, in just seven rounds, ended those dreams in the most violent way possible.
From his palatial estate, Stephen “Breadman” Edwards watched every second of every round. He’s always been impressed by the unified light heavyweight champ and Saturday night only added more reverence.
With Smith’s body tossed by the wayside, the fight that practically everyone is hoping for is between Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
Conjecture surrounding the outcome of their showdown is mostly split right down the middle. Edwards, however, is giving Beterbiev the slightest edge. Although Bivol is a title holder in his own right and a pound-for-pound star, Edwards actually believes that there’s another fighter, in an entirely different weight class, who poses a much bigger threat to Beterbiev.
“I think David Benavidez is actually a harder fight for Beterbiev,” admitted Edwards to BoxingScene.com recently. “If Benavidez has the durability, he can probably beat Beterbiev.”
Edwards knows Benavidez like the back of his hand. Just last year, he shouted instructions to Caleb Plant as he did his best to box his way to a decision. The first few rounds may have gone according to plan but Benavidez eventually figured things out before cruising to a unanimous decision victory.
On the offensive side of things, Edwards expects the 26-year-old to shine. Defensively, on the other hand, winning and losing will depend on whether his body will hold up.
“He’ll be getting off a lot more in the mid-range. Beterbiev don’t have the fastest hands, so Benavidez will be beating him to the punch. It’s all just a matter of, if he can take what’s going on.”
By Hans Themistode